Valhalla Knights is something of a chore if we’re honest. For a start, we’re not quite sure how those hardcore RPG fans will like it, as it doesn’t fit tightly enough into the established mould to be appreciated by them. Yeah, there’s levelling up and a wealth of complicated mechanics, such as item appraisals and team creation, but it has none of the real meat that you’d like when you get into the heart of the dish.

In essence, it feels like there are too many ingredients to make this a significant addition to the genre, or for it to be fun – even on a basic level. You’ve been hobbled during the real-time battles by a movement mechanic that just doesn’t cope with the drawbacks of the PSP, you’ve been hamstrung by a quest system that seems intent on not allowing you to progress with any speed, and it seems unlikely to us that you’d find too many folk willing to join the co-op, or competitive, battling. That’s even before you start taking into account the brain-damaging dialogue and soundtrack.

At the most basic level, it’s a workable romp through a pedestrianised tale of little interest. It’s been draped with some attractive visuals, for an RPG, anyway. However, the fact that those visuals had us playing beyond anything else here says much about how necessary a title this is for your collection.

Tom Leclerc